Nipple for pressure lubrication



A ril 9, 1957 R. WESTON 2,738,038

NIPPLE FOR PRESSURE LUBRICATION Original Filed May 31, 1949 INVENTOR.80y WESTON,DECEASED BY PEARL wasrozg EXECUTE/X A TTOE/VIY'VS.

United States NIPPLE FOR PRESSURE LUBRICATION Roy Weston, deceased, lateof Toppenish, Wash., by Pearl Weston, executrix, Toppenish, Wash.,assignor of onehalf to Philip Barkley, Hereford, Tex.

Substituted for abandoned application Serial No. 96,211, May 31, 1949.This application February 18, 1955, Serial No. 489,220

1 Claim. (Cl. 184-105) proper retainer so that the valve spring will notdistort nor collapse to one side and become dislocated from its intendedseat. It is a major problem to provide satisfactory means to hold thelower end of the spring in proper position and at the same time precludeexcess pressure from stopping the flow of lubricant. There is also theproblem of providing a globular head that can be attached to a pressurelubrication device or grease gun at various angles without reducing theflow of grease.

Most of the lubrication nipples in general use are of the ball valvetype, with the ball protruding from the entrance end or else seatingmore inwardly where the bore of the nipple is larger and the ball neednot be so small as when located at the entrance end. In either instancethe ball rests upon a compression spring and there is no way to preventthe spring from distorting and collapsing sideways so that it fails toproperly urge the ball to its seat in the intended manner. In eitherinstance the spring is usually conical and its lower end is the samesize as the bore in the nipple wherein it is held by crimping. Thispresents the inaptitude that excess pressure of the lubricant willsometimes completely compress the spring until no lubricant can flowbetween the coils thereof, which produces a condition known as springlock or grease lock and stops the flow of lubricant In many instances,this grease lock will cause the ball and its spring to be driven out ofthe nipple so that it is carried along with the flow of lubricant togreat disadvantage. These same difiiculties also exist in lubricationnipples where a plunger type valve is used instead of a ball.

It has been proposed to support the lower end of the compression springby Welding a small cross-bar across the open lower end of the nipple,but this is not economically feasible in high speed mass production andbesides it does not prevent lateral distortion of the compression springand also fails to eflectively center the lower end thereof, no matter ifthe cross-bar is centrally crimped to engage inside the spring.

The present invention eliminates these well known difficulties andprovides a lubrication nipple having an axial bore which is stepped toprovide three coaxial channels for the fiow of grease or otherlubricant, and a plunger type valve stem extends full length of thenipple and entirely through the compression spring which seats upon aretainer ring having an upstanding flange which holds the lower end ofthe spring properly spaced from the inside of the nipple, and thisretainer ring has channels for the flow of lubricant outside the springas well as a central channel in which the valve stem reciprocates withsuflicient clearance to provide an outlet for any lubricant which flowsbetween the coils of the compression spring. This improved structureeffectively prevents spring lock or grease lock and also assures thatthe compression spring cannot laterally distort and collapse. The valvestem carries two valve faces which seat simultaneously and therebyequalize the wear so as to assure proper seating and long life. Theinvention includes a globular head having a flat face at the entrancechannel so as to assure a flow of lubricant when the nozzle of thelubrication device or grease gun is applied thereto at an angle.

The accompanying drawing shows the invention in the form in which it hasbeen reduced to practice and fully tested.

Figure l is an enlarged vertical section through the invention.

Figure 2 separately shows the valve stem with its'two beveled valvefaces.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the retainer ring, partly in section taken onthe line 3-3 of Figure 5.

Figure 4 shows the underneath side of the retainer ring.

Figure 5 shows an elevation of the retainer ring.

Figure 6 shows a vertical section of the retainer ring taken on the fulldiameter indicated by the line 6-6 of Figure 4.

Figure 7 shows a vertical section of the retainer ring taken on the line7-7 of Figure 4 and discloses the grease channels outside the centralchannel and its upstanding flange.

As shown in the drawing, the invention embodies an outer shell or bodyportion including an externally threaded shank K with a wrench engagingportion W above which there is a shoulder portion 12 and a globular headH which has a flat face F. This body portion has an axial bore which isstepped to provide three coaxial channels for the passage of grease orother lubricant. The entrance channel 3 is in the center of the flatface F of the globular head H and opens into a larger flow channel 7,the step therebetween being beveled to serve as a valve seat 5. Thisflow channel 7 opens into a larger channel 10 and the step therebetweenis beveled to serve as a valve seat 9. This channel 10 extends fulllength of the threaded shank portion K, and it will be seen that thethree stepped bores and the two beveled valve seats can readily be madeby a single tool.

Axially disposed within the aforesaid channels is a spring urged valvestem V carrying two beveled valve faces 4 and 8 which seat in unisonagainst the aforesaid valve seats 5 and 9 respectively. This valve stemhas a tip 2 which fits closely in the entrance channel 3 of the globularhead H and is flush with the flat face F thereof, this tip 2 having aflat end face as indicated at P.

The upper shank U of this valve stem is disposed within the flow channel7 and has sufficient clearance to afford adequate flow of grease orother lubricant; and the lower shank L extends downwardly into anannular retainer ring R which supports the lower end of the compressionspring S at a spaced distance from the walls of the channel 10. Theupper end of this spring S seats against the shoulder 11 which is theunder side of a collar resulting from the beveled valve face 8.

This retainer ring R is of paramount importance and very vital to thepresent invention, because it serves a fivefold purpose. This retainerring has a central channel C and four outer channels such as O. Thewalls of this central channel form an upstanding flange 14 which servesas a centering device for the compression spring S which fits aroundthis flange 1'4 and seats on the retainer ring itternally beveled asindicated at B to serve as a guide for the tapered pilot tip T of thevalve stem and thereby assure alignment at the time of assembly, whichis neces sarily a machine operation. This central channel C issufficient-ly larger than the lower shank L of the valve stem to provideliberal clearance for the flow of lubricant in the central channel asindicated by the arrows therein.

As best seen in Figure 3, the retainer ring R'has four 'outer channelssuch as O and by reference to Figures 1,

5 and 7 it will be seen that these outer channels run from top to bottomof the retainer ring R and are just outside the central channel C. InFigure I arrows are shown in these :outer channels 0 to indicate theflow of grease theret-hrough, which precludes building up pressure, asis a common fault in various well known lubrication nipples of the priorart.

The lower edge of the retainer ring R is externally beveled as indicatedat 15 to accommodate crimping the body portion to hold the retainer ringin place as indicated in Figure 1.

It will be seen that this retainer ring R fulfi l-ls the fivefoldpurpose of providing a centering device for the lower end of the spring,a pilot guide for the valve stem, a central grease channel inside thespring, a plurality of grease channels outside the spring, and precludespressure accumulation during use, thereby eliminating all possibility ofgrease lock and the disadvantages inherent thereto.

As shown in Figure l the lower end L of the valve stem extends all theway through the spring S and precludes all possibiblity of the springescaping from its proper position, as sometimes occurs with lubricationnipples of the prior art wherein the valve stem has only a short stubfor engaging the upper end of the spring. vention, the valve stem isconfined within the central channel C of the retainer ring, and it istherefore impossible for the spring S to collapse sideways as sometimesoccurs with lubrication nipples of the prior art wherein the lower endof the valve stem d oes not have the guidance afforded by the presentinvention. The tapered tip T serves as a pilot to assure entrance of thevalve stem into the spring at the time of assembly.

The valve stem is necessarily small, and the beveled valve faces 4 and 8are necessarily limited in surface area. It is highly desirable tocompletely close the flow channel 7 by the valve face 4 contacting theseat 5 so that abrasive dust cannot work into this flow channel 7. Thisbeveled valve face 4 being quite small, it would wear excessively, wereit not for the larger contacting area of the beveled valveface 8 whichcontacts the valve seat 9 at the same time as the beveled valve face 4contacts its seat 5, thus precluding excessive wear on the smallerva-lve face 4 and assuring uniform wear on both valves.

As shown in Figure 1 the seat contacting area of the beveled valve face8 is entirely within the shoulder portion 12 of the body of the nipple,thereby providing more adequate room therebelow for a proper size springand the retainer ring R, and also shortening the required length of theupper shank U of the valve stem, thus lessening the possibility ofbending this smaller upper end of the valve stem during manufacture,assembly or use; This improved location of the valve in the shoulderportion also shortens the length of the flow channel 7 and therebyshortens the length of tool required to make this ibore, wherebydistorting and drifting of the tool is minimized.

The tip 2 of the valve stem having a flat end face P flush with the fiatface F of the globular head H, these flat faces are always free of thenozzle of the pressure lubrication device or grease gun when connectedto the globular head H. This structure is of real consequence andimportance as it enables the grease gun to be con- :ln the present in- Vsiderably angled, without covering any portion of the en-, trancechannel 3, as would otherwise occur in the absence of this fiat face Fon the globular head. These flat faces P and F are on the same commonplane and can readily be wiped clean without unseating the valves as sooften occurs with nipples closed by a ball protruding from the globularhead.

The operation of the invention will be readily under stood from theforegoing description, but it should be pointed out that the lubricantunder pressure, pushes the valve stem down until the tip 2 is entirelyfree of the entrance channel 3, and the lubricant then flows partlythrough the four outer channels 0 and partly between the coils of thespring S and out through the central channel C. If the initial impact ofpressure is so extreme that it urges the spring to full compression,there will still be a flow of lubricant through the four outer channels0, thus precluding any possibility of building up presure and holdingthe spring-completely compressed so that grease cannot flow between thecoils thereof, which constitutes the highly objectionable conditionknown as spring lock 'or grease lock which defeats proper lubricationand is a well known fault in every nipple where there is no flow oflubricant outside the spring. In the present invention, the flow oflubricant through the four outer channels effectively relieves thespring of excess compression to which it would otherwise be subjected ifthe'entire flow was between the curred that the spring collapsed to oneside and was rendered defective, a condition which did not occur in asingle instance with the present invention.

It should be pointed out that due to the prev-alenceof spring lock andgrease lock, it has become widespread practice to use grease pressurefar in excess of actual requirements, irrespective of the fact that theexcess pressure accomplishes no purpose and actually increases theprevalence of spring look and grease lock and also increases thepossibility of. driving the spring out of the nipple and int-o the flowof lubricant. The present invention can readily withstand this excesspressure and will provide a flow of lubricant at all pressures and willalso operate successfully at lower pressures which produce spring lockand grease lock in valve structures which do not provide a flow oflubricant outside the spring.

Thus the present invention eliminates the need for the ex} cessivepressure now in widespread use.

The invention is here disclosed with a threaded shank K but it will beunderstood that any other type of shank maybe employed, it being wellknown common practice to use a driven fit or else a self clamping typeof pressure fit, either of which eliminates the need for a wrenchportion such as W. .The retainer ringR may be held in place in anysuitable manner instead of the crimping shown at 15 which is preferable.The outer channels 0 may be of any suitable shape and there may be anysuitable number of them, the four here illustrated being shown as anexample and not in a limiting sense. These outer channels 0 canconveniently be made as flutes full length of the rod or tub-ing stockfrom which the retainer ring R is made, and of course they may be ofwhatever shape, size, or number that is best'suited to that mode ofmanufacture.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the inventionprovides a very simplified construction, which is highly eflicient, andeconomical to manufacture in high speed mass production.

This application is a substitute of application for Nipple for PressureLubrication, Serial No. 96,211, filed May 31, 1949, now abandoned.

What is claimed is:

A lubrication nipple comprising a body portion having a globular headwith a fiat top, said body portion having an axial bore stepped toprovide three coaxial channels consisting of an entrance channelcentered in said fiat top and opening into a larger flow channel withthe step therebetween beveled to serve as a valve seat, said flowchannel opening into a larger outlet channel, the step between the lasttwo channels being beveled to serve as a valve seat, a valve stemcoaxially disposed within said channels and having two valve facessimultaneously seating against the aforesaid valve seats respectively,said valve stem having an upper shank of less diameter than said flowchannel and of less length than the diameter of said globular head, andterminating in a short tip closing said entrance channel, a compressionspring urging said stern towards said valve seats, a retainer ringsecured in the lower end of said outlet channel and having a centralReferences Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,575,755 Gresser Mar. 9, 1926 1,694,626 Roberts Dec. 11, 1928 2,016,809Bystricky Oct. 8, 1935 2,259,977 Kelly Oct. 21, 1941 2,431,769 ParkerDec. 2, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS 418,730 Great Britain Oct. 30, 1934

